Challenge #53--Optional Theme: SURROUND YOURSELF...with MUSIC...Midway

Hello folks! It is the third Monday of the month and that means that it is time to present the midway for Challenge #53.

As we are a unique kind of challenge blog, please be sure to check out the START POST FOUND HERE, for all the rules and details you need to know in order to enter. For now, here is a refresher of what our theme is all about:

Challenge #53

Optional Theme:
 SURROUND YOURSELF...with MUSIC

We continue this month with the final challenge in a series of three all based on the intriguing concept to Surround Yourself with Positivity in the form of the arts! Katrina, one of my amazing team members came up with this unique idea. Over the course of three months we have been exploring the positive influence of three different artistic concepts: Art, Literature and Music! So far, we have covered art and literature and this month we are wrapping up our series with the concept of Music!

How does music affect you and your mood? What music do you pull up on your phone, radio, I-pod, cassette player, stereo, 8-track, boom box, victrola? (Did I go back far enough for you?) When you’re feeling unmotivated and sad, do you pull out a Symphony by Beethoven, “Ode to Joy” for example; get rocking with the Beatles' “Here Comes the Sun”; or, do you get “Happy” with Pharrell Williams?

Music has a profound way of changing our attitude, making us feel anxiety, calming us, or making us dance. For example, have you ever considered how affective music is in horror films? Think back to the movie “Jaws” or “Psycho”; we all know those themes and grit our teeth when we hear them! How many times have you felt the urge to cry hearing an old love song…you know the one you listened to a million times way back when.

Then there are the times you’re out in public and a great song comes on and you have to fight to keep your feet still or your mouth quiet! Possibly the elevator is not the place to burst into your favorite Broadway tune or break out a Disco move!

Keep in mind, we are thinking about how different kinds of art affects us as individuals. It’s not necessarily about doing something “visually" music related. For example, if “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is a positive song for you, a rainbow image is perfect. Obviously, there is a lot of positive Christmas music to go with images as well.

If you would like a chance to win the prize for the Most Inspirational Creation, the challenge this month is to Surround Yourself with Music. Choose a song that inspires positivity in you and share the song (or music genre) and the inspired project with us! We can't wait to feel the upbeat vibes you have to share with us!

If you do follow the optional theme, be sure to add FT after your name so that we include you in the draw for the prize for Most Inspirational. Remember, we also ask that you please leave a comment letting us know how your creation relates to the concept of music and what you learned about yourself along the way, if it isn't clearly written somewhere else in your post. While you may easily see how your creation ties into the theme, it may not be as apparent to me or the DT members. That is why we ask that you clarify it somewhere, whether here or in your blogpost. You can simply write a sentence or paragraph at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, if it would be easier. We just need to know how your project ties into the theme. Letting us know, clears up any ambiguity that may exist.

Remember, in order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, ALL creations must be positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. You don't need to follow the optional theme if you simply want to have a chance at the Random Draw prize of a $10 gift certificate from Imagine That Digistamp, one of our sponsors this month. You only need to follow the theme if you want a chance to win this month's sponsored prize of a $10 gift certificate from Limited Runs, provided by the second of our guest sponsors this month.

Talking of our guest sponsors...

To learn more about this month's guest sponsors, be sure to check out the START post; and of course, also pay each of these generous companies a visit. Below, you will find the watermarks for the sets and/or images that the team worked with for the midway. Just click on any watermark to find that set's or image's location in its respective store.

From Imagine That Digistamp...

Elvis Bear

Impossible Hearts

Snappy Sandy

Hula Girl

From Limited Runs...

Christmas Carolers (Category: Christmas, Section: 41 -50)

Juggling Snowman (Category: Christmas, Section: 61 -70)

 Christmas Door Set (Category: Christmas, Section: 31 -40)

 
Thank you so much to these awesome companies for allowing us the opportunity to work with such incredible images during the midway!

To help inspire you further down the path of SURROUND YOURSELF with MUSIC, check out the wonderful projects my Design Team had the opportunity to create. Don't forget that I have included a brief synopsis from each of the team members tying their projects into the theme so that you can see how they have interpreted this unique concept. Clicking on each team member's name will take you to their blog where you can check out further details on their inspirational creations.

Please note that due to a bit of a mix up within the team, the split between sponsors is a bit lopsided this month. We have just two projects featuring a Limited Runs image and the remaining projects feature Imagine That Digistamp. During the start it was the reverse.

Tie in to theme:

"I love winter, Christmas and especially Advent and Christmas carols."

Tie in to theme:

"There's a story here and you'll need to visit my page and read it to understand my journal page!  However, I'm influenced by a song that makes me laugh and move every time I hear it!  ; )"

Tie in to theme:

"I grew up in the 60's and 70's, when Rock n Roll was king, so any classic rock gets me going!"

Tie in to theme:

"It's funny how one little song can bring back a thousand memories. Ever since our 25th anniversary trip to Hawaii, I have loved slack key guitar music. Every time I play it, I am taken back to the islands. I can still feel the ocean breezes and hearing the waves lap against the shore."

Tie in to theme:

"I was inspired because Christmas isn't Christmas without all the lovely holiday music. In the stores, people smile more. In traffic, drivers seem more courteous. And at home, I seem to get more "in the spirit" while the music's playing."

Tie in to theme:

"My song for inspiration is In Case You Didn't Know by Brett Young. This is the link to the You Tube video of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qaHdHpSjX8"

Tie in to theme:

"I'm following on with the Christmas music theme but this time it's more traditional Christmas music including of course carols. The sentiment with this set reminds me of 'Deck the Halls' - a perfect Christmas song."

Thanks again to my incredible design team! As always, each of them have their own unique styles and ideas which amaze me to no end. Each of these projects has showcased the concept of surrounding oneself with music, in various forms and manners and I hope we have inspired you throughout this challenge. Be sure to go and visit these talented ladies so you can see how their projects tie in to the theme.

Why not join us, if you haven't entered already? Create a project and/or post that is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature and join our link up. If you've opted to follow the theme of surrounding oneself with music, for the chance to win the Most Inspirational prize, provide an explanation of how your project and/or post relates to the theme somewhere in your post or come over and leave a comment with the explanation. Also, don't forget to leave FT after your name so we know to include you in the running for the prize. Easy, peasy! You can enter our latest challenge by clicking HERE.

Also, I know that the participants would love for you to go and pay them a visit. Remember we're creating a Path of Positivity to follow one project at a time and we'd love to see you somewhere on that route even if it is just by leaving a comment on an entry from someone who has touched you somehow with their project and/or post!

Don't Forget...

You have until 11:59 p.m. SATURDAY to vote on your favourite entry for Challenge #52.  Voting is quick, easy and painless so I hope you will consider casting your vote if you haven't already. Winners for challenge #52 will be posted next Monday if everything goes according to plan. You can find the Top Picks post HERE.

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE ON SURROUND YOURSELF WITH MUSIC...

If you need some motivation to get you started, I've provided a quote for you, which you can find below. Please note that this is the same quote that was offered at the start of the challenge.

Please be sure to click on it to bring it up into the lightbox in its proper size before saving it.

Credit Notes For This Creation:

© 2017, Lisa L. Décosse. PUO. However, you are allowed to use the sentiment on handmade projects that you intend to sell on a small scale basis provided credit is given. You also need to include a credit note and a link to this blog or my personal blog, Decosse's Dynamite Doodles, should you use any of my images in your creations and post them on your blog. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with my full terms of use found in the 'Download Instructions & T.O.U.' tab at the top of this page. Of important note:  Please do not share my images with family, friends, etc. Additionally, do not post any images to file sharing services like Box®, 4-Shared®, etc. Instead, please direct people to my blog(s) so they can grab the image for themselves. If you would like to post a watermarked version of the image, please contact me to obtain one.

Additional Credit and Font Information:

Fonts used

• Marin Victorian font created by Cruzine Design
• Aileron font created by Sora Sagano

Click on the font names to take you to a download location. The first font listed was purchased with extended licensing as part of a limited time bundle but it is offered often so you might want to click HERE and see if the bundle is still available. If not it can be purchased from the designer. The second font is offered under an open font licence and thus may be used for commercial purposes. It is my understanding, that I am within my rights to use these fonts in my creations and offer them to others for free or for sale. Always check to make sure the terms haven't changed before using the font on something you sell.

You will notice that the sentiment may appear huge depending on what software program you download it into. You can always reduce the size without distorting the overall look.

Additional Elements
I have also used a vector image from the public domain. This image is courtesy of GDJ (Gordon Johnson) via Pixabay. Items in the public domain may be used for commercial purposes.

SUMMARY
Whether you are new and need to familiarize yourself with all the details, or a returning participant and just need to refresh yourself, you can find out the impetus behind why I started this challenge under the 'Introductions' tab and all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details' tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog). Additionally, you can find a quick summary of the details related to this challenge, towards the bottom of the start post. 

 

 Click HERE to head to the current challenge post & link up!

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY...

Please show your support to our wonderful guest sponsors by going over and checking out their work and saying hi if you have the chance. As mentioned above, this month our guest sponsors are...

Our ongoing sponsors include...

 

  If you ever have any questions be sure to EMAIL ME or just leave me a comment.

We look forward to seeing you participate!